Changing Your Name

These gorgeous photos from Teak & Nguyen's wedding thanks to GM Photographics

Everyone gets confused with this one. Here's a little help and advice......

Ok, girls. You can't wait to be Mr and Mrs, but you have no idea how to change your name? I wish I could tell you that there was just one form to fill in, or that it miraculously changes as I register the marriage, but that's not true. 

It's a bit fiddly.

To change your name legally, you will first need an official Marriage Certificate from Births Deaths and Marriages.

( I can help you with this one), so wait for that to come in the mail. It comes via registered post, so you'll need to pick it up from the post office.

When you have the official certificate, you will need to change your name for all your legal identification. That means Medicare, passport, the ATO, the RTA etc. I can give you the forms for these basic offices. You will have to fill them in, and go in, with your official certificate, tell them that you want to change your name, because you got married. 

When you have changed these ones over, you can sign your new name on your legal documents. Don't do that until you have. 

You can call yourself Mrs Brand New Name, as soon as you are married. Just don't sign Brand New Name on anything legal, until you have made the legal changeover.

PS Definately don't book your honeymoon tickets in your married surname. They won't let you on the plane if the name on your passport is different to the name on your tickets!